Equipment that spins your ball and puts a line on the balanced equator?

These things used to be the rage some 10 years ago, as I remember everyone around our club using them as well as the junior golfer friends of my son. I just found a golf ball that has a line all around the perimeter off-angled to the ball's text line and made me remininesce about that. Do those things actually work to find the balanced spinning equator or is it folk lore?


It works...all you have to do is start the marker as soon as you hit the button.

If it makes much difference in your game with today's ball is another matter.

You'll actually want to spin it up to full speed first for a few seconds and then stick the pen in the hole to mark the heavy point that's spinning around the equator. It usually takes a little time for the ball to get up to speed and align itself in a stable spin.

I can only add, that as a scientist, if it's repeatable (finding the same line each time after 3 tries), then it must be doing something consistently so that it can do that and makes you wonder if hitting on the equator that the marker identifies, does that cut down side spin off the tee or is that mainly for putting (along the equator line on line to the hole?).

It is primarily for putting. While the balls today are manufactured to better tolerances, I take no chances and pretty much always spin balls to get the line I use.

I hate drawing the equator line while the ball is spinning. Too often, I am a hair above or below the actual center line. Also, I don't like the whole ball marked. Finally, line width is inconsistent.

So I mark the top of the ball while it is spinning, and then use another plastic ball holder to mark one line on it.

You could use a dry erase pen to mark the ball and then take the ball out of the spinning device. Get one of the plastic ball marking cups that will center the ball up on its equator. Use your original dry erase line to parallel the edge of the marking cup. Then you can use a permanent marker and only put a line where you want it. Wipe off the dry erase line and you are good to go. It's an extra step or two but it will look better than a line all the way around the ball, unless you like that look.

I often put a large/thick line on each side of the text line ========(ProV1x)======== that is about 1/8-inch thick and 1-1.25-inches long on each side. I can always spot my ball even in the deep rough because the lines are visible even with text side down. So easy to walk over and see my lines and know 'that's my ball'. Not so good when everyone know's my lines and says "hey, I found some of your balls recently" :smiley:

> @BogeySwine said:

> You could use a dry erase pen to mark the ball and then take the ball out of the spinning device. Get one of the plastic ball marking cups that will center the ball up on its equator. Use your original dry erase line to parallel the edge of the marking cup. Then you can use a permanent marker and only put a line where you want it. Wipe off the dry erase line and you are good to go. It's an extra step or two but it will look better than a line all the way around the ball, unless you like that look.

I tried using one of those way back when. It may have had merit before manufacturing tolerances were tightened up. But ultimately it was a mess. So I moved on to the plastic clip that cups the ball while you mark a line. Then one day I watched as the other three in my group obsessed over lining up that line, adjusting, re-reading, adjusting...and still missed putts. I resolved to never be those guys. I stopped using lines and purposely place the ball so there is nothing facing me as I stand over the pall for a putt. No line, no logo, no number, nada. Just a plain ball surface. I make my read, find my line on the green and line up to a spot on the turf. No second-guessing my alignment or my putter path, etc relative to the ball. I started making more putts. Essentially de-cluttered my putting routine and it paid off.

> @efduffer said:

> I purposely place the ball so there is nothing facing me as I stand over the pall for a putt. No line, no logo, no number, nada. Just a plain ball surface. I make my read, find my line on the green and line up to a spot on the turf. No second-guessing my alignment or my putter path, etc relative to the ball. I started making more putts. Essentially de-cluttered my putting routine and it paid off.

>

I agree. Trying to align the stripe always has me second guessing. And not focusing on distance control.

But I do like the stripe to get a sense of whether I am rolling it well end over end. So I draw a smaller line (about 120 degrees) and place it UNDER the ball when I put on the course.

Another reason I don't mark the ball while it's spinning, because then you mark the whole ball....

Although I use a line on my ball, I don't obsess over it if it's off line a bit. I adjust my visualization of the 'imaginary line' relative to the line on the ball. Not much different than if you leave the pin in and the flagpole casts a shadow towards your ball, or there's a 'line of a mower cut' going towards the hole, but not exactly your 'line'.... you would make an assessment that you have to go outside (or inside) that shadow line. So same thing with my line on my ball. I make enough putts in the 10-18 foot range.

If you can get the same spot to show up consistently with that gadget, you're better than most.

$3 gets you a template to draw lines, or most balls already have lines on them now.

Place a golf ball in lukewarm water and add Epsom salts until the ball floats. Mark the top of the floating ball with a marker. Draw the line.